Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. In today’s episode, you will hear directly from a Soldier. And not just your random Soldier, but one who understands what 1,000s of Soldiers are thinking and saying every day. One who runs several meme pages, and our local favorite @tropiclightmeme. Great leaders are not born, they are developed over time. Learning from both good and bad leadership. Listen to the stories our Soldiers are seeing f...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. Today’s conversation is with Ryan Alexander. We discuss his story coming up in the Army, building a family, and developing as a leader through years of opportunity and challenges. God has a plan for all of us, and thankfully, we do not have to go through this alone. It takes a network of family, friends, mentors, and coaches along the way to make it a life worth living. Ryan has a career that any...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. A Vision for an organization does not come overnight or easily. It comes after years of experience, both failures and successes. Implementing a vision is a whole new challenge. In this conversation with Tyler Patterson, we discuss how the history of the Wolfhounds and his life experiences shaped the process for encoding success and creating a culture that People are proud to be part of. &n...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode is with Trivius Caldwell & Matt Leclair. They discuss how to make the best decisions they can for their families, teammates, units, and life, with the information they have available. They also discuss lessons learned over the last couple of months to include: · Dealing with tragic events · Lessons from a JRTC rotation · ...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. Of course, good leaders know how to do it. They have a track record of getting results. Great leaders know what to do, they do it when it counts, and know how to get the right People doing the right things. Great leaders care. Winning is knowing “What’s Important Now.” Join us for a conversation on what makes good leaders great. How they make us feel, and how you can go from good leadership to great le...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode was recorded in January 2025, immediately following our Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center rotation in Alaska. You can also watch this video on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ForgedInThePacific. This is a conversation between the Commander of Operations Group (COG), Colonel Matt Leclair and the enemy forces brigade commander Colonel Chris Brawley. They discuss parti...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode was recorded in January 2025, immediately following our Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center rotation in Alaska. You can also watch this video on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ForgedInThePacific. This is a conversation between the Commander of Operations Group (COG), Colonel Matt Leclair, and the rotational unit brigade commander, Colonel Jimmy Howell. They discuss h...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. Today’s guest is not just a colleague — he’s a true friend of mine, Dave Webb. What makes Dave special is that we share the same core values: a deep care for People, Soldiers, and their families. In this episode, we’ll explore what real friendship looks like, how strong relationships shape team culture, and what it means to grow up and raise a family in the Army. We’ll also dive into how Dave’s leaders...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode is focused on the immediate reflections of Pat Yun as he transitions out of battalion command. He’ll tell his story of becoming the leader he is today and the vision he had as a commander. Pat will describe the hardest challenges he went through and how he handled them with the help of his team. He’ll discuss the kind of leaders he learned best from and the type of leadership he hope...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode will be focused on helping future battalion commanders prepare for command. Specifically, once making the mental shift from the day job to the pre-command courses. I will be having a conversation with LTC Nick Tallant, a soon-to-be battalion commander at the pre-command courses. We'll talk about: Your Unique Leadership PhilosophyMy personal experiences as a battalio...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. Today’s episode is with Red Devil 6, Trivius Caldwell, who just finished his first 30 days as a battalion commander in the 82nd Airborne Division. He will discuss his expectations, surprises, and what stands out the most so far. He’ll talk about his one thing going forward and what’s on the horizon that he needs to start shaping now. We hope you enjoy today’s conversation with Red Devil 6.&...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. Today’s episode is with Ryan Leclair. She will talk about her first year at West Point, how it measured up to her expectations, the first two weeks of “Beast”, what she has learned so far, and what she is looking forward to the most in her second year. She’ll tell a few stories and hint at what’s driving her and her teammates. We hope you enjoy today’s conversation with Ryan Leclair. Why ...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode is with John Howell. John is a National Guard Major, full-time recruiter, and social media influencer known for his content on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok as ServantOfLeaders. We discuss his journey on active duty and how he transitioned from infantry to military intelligence, to National Guard, back to Infantry, and recruiting full time during the week. John will share what...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This conversation is with Trevor Gocke. Trevor is a graduate of Louisville ROTC who recently transitioned as a captain from the Army to the Air National Guard. Like so many, his success has come disguised as hard work and perseverance. Trevor describes the leaders and mentors he had along the way who modeled the leadership he tries to emulate. He credits his guiding principles of community, passion, an...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This conversation is a journey going full circle from West Point to commanding the Senior Military Colleges across our nation. Jason Wayne will share his story and how it's built him into the leader he is today, and how he's paying it back with his cadets and instructors. Learn what ROTC is doing these days and how you can implement the same fundamentals into your organization. Reach ...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. What do you want your organization to be known for? This is your unit’s reputation. What do you want to be known for? This is your reputation. Your reputation and your organization’s WILL BECOME ONE. Three Buckets: 1. Know exactly who you are. “This is what I believe.” 2. Figure out what the organization needs. “WIN = What’s Important...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode is with Mike Kloepper. Mike shares his experiences growing up in some of the most historic units in the Army and the lessons he learned from the People who shaped him into the leader he is today. Currently, Mike is the Brigade Tactical Officer at West Point and discusses at length how he has the best job in the Army, developing future leaders at what he calls “the decisive Point” of an int...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. This episode is with Jason Schmidt. He is the Command Sergeant Major of the United States Army Pacific and a genuinely great dude and teammate. We’ll discuss his journey growing up in the Army and progressing through some historic cavalry units. He shares his insights into the backbone of the Army, our Non-Commissioned Officer Corps, and the efforts we are making here in the Pacific. It wil...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. For those who know Brigadier General Kevin Williams, this conversation will sound very familiar. Because he’s been not only sharing his warfighting mentality for so many years, he’s been living it. I’m so thankful to spend so much time with him compiling his thoughts and sharing them with you. Why Teach Me to Fish? Catch someone a fish, feed them for a day. Teach them to fish, fee...

Let us know what you are think about this episode here. 💬 Text here. Finding the words to describe this conversation with Charles Burrow is hard. Because it’s hard to explain something special, unique, and memorable. It’s hard to define “Lightning in a Bottle”. For us, we just called it “First Rock”. We hope you enjoy today’s conversation. Through the conversation we will discuss: Why he joined and more importantly, why he stayed. Being an example for P...